


I Can't Stand To Fly

by peachesnqueen



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Circus, Circus, Co-Written, Injury in a future chapter, M/M, Trapeze, but coronacation gave me time to fix it up, this was written so long ago
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:27:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23233981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachesnqueen/pseuds/peachesnqueen
Summary: Even with the sheets of rain and dark clouds narrowing his view, he saw it looming there. A flash of lightning illuminated an enormous tent striped through with red and white, standing proudly before him. A mighty castle jutting up from into the gloom. Flags at the top of each structure pole whipped about wildly in the wind and a maze of boxcars guarded the tent from the railroad tracks. The longer Will stood staring, the smaller it all made him feel.The Solangelo Circus!AU you never knew you needed.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo & Will Solace
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10
Collections: Three Intelligent Thoughts- Quarantine Collection





	1. Only A Man

It was raining when Will Solace arrived for his first day on the job. 

Not the nice kind of rain, either, which made you want to curl up indoors with a blanket and a book as it pattered onto the panes of your windows. It was coming down in torrents blown almost completely sideways by the frigid wind. Umbrellas were made futile.

He’d come by locomotive, leather suitcase bouncing against his knees until the train had lurched to a stop. Stepping with his case off of the car, he’d immediately sunk ankle-deep in mud, shielding the paper he held from the rain to double-check the directions written there. Head for the big top as soon as you arrive. The Ringmaster will meet you there and set somebody up giving you a tour. Raising his head, Will squinted through the downpour.

Even with the sheets of rain and dark clouds narrowing his view, he saw it looming there. A flash of lightning illuminated an enormous tent striped through with red and white, standing proudly before him. A mighty castle jutting up from into the gloom. Flags at the top of each structure pole whipped about wildly in the wind and a maze of boxcars guarded the tent from the railroad tracks. The longer Will stood staring, the smaller it all made him feel.

He shoved the raindrop-smattered paper back into his coat pocket and trudged through the assortment of trailers. When he reached the front flap of the tent he pushed the heavy fabric away and slipped inside.

It was considerably dryer inside of the tent with the heavy burlap keeping the storm out, but it was no warmer, and Will shivered as rainwater dripped from his hair and slid down the back of his neck.

His entrance hadn’t gone unnoticed; in the bleachers across the tent, a sharp pair of eyes met his. The woman they belonged to abandoned the paperwork she’d been filling out, brushing off her pants and making her way towards him. Her hair was braided tightly down her back, and she walked with her shoulders back and head held high. Even under the vaulted ceiling and open air of the big top, she was not made small. Will realized how fully intimidated he was right as the woman offered a hand for him to shake.

“You must be Dr. William Solace.” 

“That’d be me,” Will confirmed, shaking her hand and offering a smile that he hoped made up for his appearance. It was the rain’s fault, really. “And you must be Reyna Ramírez-Arellano? The Ringmaster?”

Reyna nodded, releasing his hand.

“The one and only. How was the train ride?”

“A bit bumpy, but that’s expected, I guess,” Will replied, looking around again at the interior of the tent. Rows of seating lining the walls, sturdy posts holding the fabric of the tent up high, providing an enclosed space so large, it practically felt like he wasn’t in a tent at all. “...Beautiful place you have here, ma’am.”

Reyna stood up a bit straighter. This newcomer was the first one who didn’t have to be instructed to call her ma’am. She could get used to that. 

“We make do. I’m afraid I won’t have time to give you the tour myself, but one of our trapeze artists should be here any minute to show you around.”

“No problem at all, I’m sure you’re very busy,” Will tipped his head forward in respect. “It’ll be nice to meet somebody else from the crew, too.”

Will watched her lips curl up into a smirk. 

“I’m not sure if I’d call meeting Nico di Angelo nice. Anyway, he’ll show you around, and then leave you to put your things away and get settled in.”

“Sounds great,” Will replied with a hesitant smile, her comment having unsettled him a bit.  
“There’s a troop dinner tonight,” Reyna added, “So you’ll have a chance to meet everyone else there. Attendance is mandatory, or as I like to say, be there or be fired.” Her eyes shifted to focus somewhere past him. “Here comes Nico.” 

Will turned to watch as a man entered the tent from a different entrance, crossing the vast space to meet the two of them. He was wearing a loose white shirt and suspenders, dark hair falling around his face. He walked across the tent floor with a rigid posture but light steps; it almost looked as if he was floating. But the thing that caught Will’s attention most was his expression; dark eyes, fierce and determined, like he was getting ready for the show to begin.

“Nico di Angelo,” Will greeted, recalling his name but nearly forgetting to stick a hand out for him to shake. “I’m Dr. William Solace, the new vet.”

The man shook Will’s hand only once before releasing it, looking up at him with those dark eyes. Will got the feeling that he was being sized up. 

“I'm going to walk and talk fast,” Nico spoke. “Keep up and don't ask questions until I'm done.”

Will blinked at the man’s abruptness. So much for first impressions.

“Lead the way.” Will bent to retrieve his suitcase.

Nico led him through the tent, rattling off explanations for everything he passed. Will did his best to follow along but had to speed up every now and then to catch up, having stopped to look at something. Nico spoke with a thick accent- something European, Will figured- and at the rate he was rattling off information during the tour, Will missed a few bits and pieces along the way. Outside, the storm raged against the tent, a dull roar that got louder when Nico led Will to an opening in the tent and pulled it back.

They stopped just outside, Nico squinting against the rain but otherwise seemingly unaffected. “Pens are over there. You’ll get to actually meet the animals tomorrow.”

Will followed Nico’s gesture towards the array of wooden structures with barely contained excitement. The veterinary life had been difficult, to say the least. His work was not in high demand in the town he’d lived, and the customers he did have were mostly routine cases. The fact that he was becoming a vet at a circus had him practically bubbling over with joy. Six zebras, three tigers, three lions (one of whom had been listed as pregnant), and some show dogs? It was an animal caretaker’s paradise. 

“Frank’s the performer working with the animals,” Nico called, interrupting his thoughts. He’d walked further into the downpour while Will was distracted. “He’ll introduce you to them tomorrow. But right now, we have to keep moving.”

Will cast one last look towards the pens and hurried after Nico. 

The two continued quickly towards where the caravan was set up, shoes squelching in the mud below. When they arrived, Nico tugged open a rickety door to one of the caravan’s cars. “I’ll bring you through here. Careful passing between cars.”

Will gave a nod and followed Nico through the doorway and into the creaking car.

Nico rattled through a brief introduction to each troop member when they reached their car, then moved onto the next, barely glancing over his shoulder to make sure Will was following. Will did his best to make good impressions with the limited time he’d been given, offering up smiles and as much of a wave as he had time for. 

The rapid-fire and slightly overwhelming tour came to an end when Nico finally stopped at the second to last car. “This is yours. Next one is mine. Don’t go in my car. Questions?”

Questions. Will had plenty, but with the seemingly annoyed way that Nico had been looking at him throughout the whole tour, Will guessed the offer of answers was more of an obligation. So, essentials only. 

“What time do we eat?” Will asked. 

Nico glanced at his watch. “Hour and a half from now. Any more?”

Will thought for a moment. He had asked again, after all. “Where’d you get your accent?”

Nico’s face immediately hardened. “No more questions.” He stormed off into his car before Will could say anything else, slamming the door behind him. 

“Okay,” Will said quietly to himself and the empty air. “Not the friendliest of a first-met coworker.” He took a moment to look around the car. It was fairly plain, emptied from the last guest save for a rickety bed with a new (which was a questionable description, but hopefully it was at least clean) bedspread, a dusty window, and a shelving unit drilled into one of the walls for storage. He shrugged out of his damp coat and rolled up his sleeves, ready to get some unpacking done before dinner, and also to forget about his unwelcoming welcome. Which was going to be hard, despite Nico’s rudeness. The man had an accent and cheekbones rivaling Grecian statues.  
***  
In his own car, amidst the noise of the storm still raging on, Nico di Angelo slammed a fist into the wall of his car, rattling the single framed photograph he’d hung up. He let himself sink down into his bed, hands trembling.


	2. Won't You Concede

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will makes friends and takes a dare.

Will stood in his doorway, shirtsleeves rolled and hands on his hips as he admired his work. He’d unpacked his suitcase as best he could, with careful consideration of the fact that the car would be moving. He’d have to round up some nails and a hammer to hang up his pictures, but he was in a good place to take a break. He opened the door to his car and headed down the caravan. 

He walked out of the caravan and towards the eating area that had been set up behind one of the enormous sets of bleachers. Most everyone was already seated in their groups of friends, and they turned to look at and whisper about Will as he walked in. He gave friendly, hopeful smiles to those whose eyes he met, moving to get into the line for food.  
After a few minutes standing there, he noticed a presence at his side, and jumped in surprise when he looked over to see that Nico had silently joined him in line. He glanced over the man’s features- eyes still stormy, expression one of quiet focus- before speaking.

“Mr. di Angelo,” Will greeted, hoping the man’s grumpiness from earlier had been a fluke. “Nice to see you again.” 

The man only scowled, not even giving a look in response to Will’s greeting. He forked a piece of meatloaf onto his plate.

“Any suggestions on where to sit?” Will tried again. “I’m afraid I don’t really know anyone.”

“Just sit somewhere,” Nico grunted. “And don’t sit near me.”

Will’s hand froze in the air where he’d been reaching for an apple. He picked it up a moment later and added it to his tray, swallowing back any further remarks. When they reached the end of the line, Nico stalked past him out of the line, taking a seat next to a golden-haired girl at one of the picnic tables.

Shaking off the coldness of di Angelo’s interactions, Will looked around the room for a place to sit, determined to have at least one friendly interaction on his first day. For god’s sake, this isn’t elementary school. In the end he picked a seat next to a friendly enough looking man and hoped for the best. 

“Hey, new guy,” the man greeted casually, smiling and holding out a hand. “Cecil Markowitz, at your service.” 

Will let out a sigh of relief, taking the hand of the man in front of him and shaking it. “Dr. William Solace, but you can call me Will. Hell, you can call me whatever you like, seeing as you’re the only friendly face I’ve seen around here so far.”

“That’s because I’m guessing the only people you’ve spoken to so far are our holy terror of a ringmaster and Nico Scary Eyes di Angelo,” Cecil pointed out. “Not exactly the best first impression.”

“The Ringmaster isn’t too bad,” Will replied, then shook his head. “But Mr. di Angelo… Is he always like that?”

Cecil gave a shrug. “Pretty much. He’s not really a pleasant guy. Me and LouLou, on the other hand-” 

“Are the only friends you’ll ever need,” finished another voice behind Will. He turned to see a woman standing there with shockingly green hair, a plate of entirely mashed potatoes in one hand, and Will’s wallet held aloft in the other.

Will’s eyes widened. “How did you do that?” 

The woman just grinned down at him. “Name’s Lou Ellen, master illusionist. Cecil’s my trusty sidekick.” 

“Partner.” 

“Sidekick.”

“Whatever you are to each other,’ Will smiled. “That was a fantastic trick.”

“We know,” Lou Ellen said as she took a seat next to Cecil. “So. Tell us about yourself, Animal Boy.”

“I’ll trade you stories for my wallet,” Will said, holding out his hand.

Lou Ellen smirked, placing it into his hand. “You play dirty, Animal Boy.”

“Only when I have to,” Will replied, tucking his wallet safely away. “Alright. What do you want to know?”

Lou Ellen shrugged. “I dunno. Anything. Likes. Dislikes. Deep, dark secrets.”

“Likes: animals, obviously. The smell of laundry soap. Warm, homemade meals. The sun,” Will paused to look up at the tent’s roof where the rain above had died down to a light patter. 

“Dislikes, hm?...Stereotyping. Cotton candy. People who are rude to me for no reason,” Will paused again to glance over at the table Nico di Angelo sat at. 

Lou Ellen followed his eyes over to Nico. Cecil patted Will’s shoulder. 

“Nico just… Takes some getting used to. He’s an acquired taste. Like fine wine.” 

“Or moldy cheese.” 

“Lou-”

Will laughed softly down at his plate, then felt bad that he was laughing and stopped, shaking his head at his mashed potatoes. “I really shouldn’t be forming bad opinions about anybody yet. It is my first day, after all. I don’t really know anyone well enough to judge.”

“Aw,” Lou Ellen said, patting his arm. “How noble.” 

When she raised her hand, she was holding Will’s wristwatch.

“As you can see, I’ve never been big on nobility.”

“Lord-” Will looked down at his arm in surprise and then back up at Lou Ellen. “You have to teach me how to do that. The basics, at least.”

Lou Ellen tossed him back his watch, scandalized. “Are you asking a magician to reveal her secrets? You are a tricky man.”

“You steal my wallet and watch, and I’m the tricky one?” Will countered with a smile, fastening his watch back onto his wrist. 

Cecil shrugged. “Welcome to circus life, Animal Boy.”

“Does everyone get nicknames, or just the new people?” Will asked, taking a bite of his food.

“Just new people,” Lou Ellen said, “As long as they’re not scary. For example, Nico did not get a nickname.”

“I support that decision,” Will said decisively, humming around another bite of food. “Sweet Lord, this food is great.”

Lou Ellen nodded. “Good, right?”

Cecil laughed softly at her plate. “You’re only eating potatoes!”

“Why is it that you’re only eating potatoes?” Will asked her. 

“I enjoy many things in life,” Lou Ellen said, waving a potato-covered fork. “Pickpocketing, for one. Terrorizing newbies. And mashed potatoes. Especially mashed potatoes. Don’t judge me because I know what I like.”

“Wouldn’t think of it,” Will replied. “They are excellent mashed potatoes, after all.”

“Excellent,” Lou Ellen said, pointing her fork at him, “Is an understatement.” 

“Alright, I shared some details,” Will said, wiping his mouth on his napkin. “What about you two?”

“I like potatoes,” Lou Ellen volunteered. 

“I’m from Long Island,” Cecil told him. “And I don’t give people obvious, bullshit facts.”

Will broke into laughter, shaking his head. “How do the two of you work together?”

“We bicker because we love,” Cecil smiled. 

“Besides,” Lou Ellen added with a mischievous smirk, “Someone’s got to make sure this guy doesn’t get his head stuck between the bars of the gorilla’s cage again.” 

“THAT WAS ONE TIME.”

“There’s a gorilla, too?” Will’s eyes brightened with excitement. 

“You need to learn to pay attention to the important details of a story,” Lou Ellen said, shaking her head. “Cecil. Got his head stuck. In a gorilla’s cage.”

“ONE. TIME.”

“Is that why his head is shaped so funny?” Will deadpanned, trying his best not to smile. 

“Hey!” Cecil protested.

Lou Ellen cackled, dropping her spoon into her pile of potatoes. “Oh wow, I like you. Welcome to the family, Animal Boy.”

********

Will crunched on an apple as he made his way back through the caravan, passing by the others and giving the same welcoming smiles to those he passed from that morning. He meant to only glance into Nico’s car but subconsciously slowed his walkwhen he saw Nico lying there, staring up at the ceiling.

His presence didn’t go unnoticed. Nico sat up and scowled at him through the doorway. “What are you doing?”

Will blinked, coming back to himself. “Sorry, I was just-”

“Don’t bother me,” Nico snapped. “I don’t want you coming into my car.”

“Wasn’t planning on either of those things,” Will replied. 

And yet, as Will took a step back further into his own car, he hesitated. He and Nico were to be coworkers for an indeterminate amount of time, and lived in cars right beside each other. He couldn’t keep living with these hostile interactions without standing up for himself. He felt Nico’s words like a dare to talk back, and it was a dare he was going to take. 

So, instead of heading any further back into his car, he turned, met Nico’s gaze with determination, and leaned against the wall opposite of Nico’s car. 

Nico narrowed his eyes. “You’re looking at me.”

“And you me,” Will replied neutrally. 

Nico’s expression hardened. “I don’t know who you think you are, but if you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave me alone.”

“Alright. I’m tired anyways,” Will pushed off of the wall. 

“Good. Go to sleep.” Nico lay down again, resuming his staring at the ceiling. 

“Italy,” Will said, turning his apple in his hands. 

Nico sat up again, and met Will’s gaze with eyes that burned like fire. “What did you just say?”

“Your accent,” Will continued. “I couldn’t place it before, but it’s Italian, yes?”

Will watched the man as he slowly stood up from his cot, eyes furiously storming. Slowly, he made his way over to Will- step by slow step- until they were standing face-to-face. 

“You would be very wise to stop talking right now.”

Will felt his skin tingle, his body on edge. Cautious. It wasn’t exactly fear, and he didn’t move, but his senses were awakened. 

They stood toe-to-toe, silently watching one another. Will could hear his own heartbeat in his ears but maintained his composure, looking straight down at the slightly shorter man. Nico’s eyes shifted slightly, and Will couldn’t tell if he was looking Will over or daring him to speak. The moment of silence lasted for what could have been a second or an hour, until Nico spoke.

“Good,” Nico said, not making any move away from their position. “Now, stay out of my business.”

“I have two more questions for the night,” Will asked boldly. 

Nico’s hands balled into fists for a moment before releasing. “Make them quick.”

“Is there anybody in this place that you actually treat decently?” Will asked daringly, heart racing. “And if I’m not allowed in your car, why are you in mine?”

Nico’s eyes went wide for a moment as he seemed to realize where he stood. As quickly as they had widened, they narrowed again, and he stormed back into his car, slamming the door hard enough to rattle both his and Will’s.

As soon as the door closed, Will sat shakily on the edge of his bed, trying to catch his breath. His legs were still wobbly, palms sweaty. It had been a while since he’d had to stand up for himself like that. He closed his eyes to calm down, letting the new feeling of pride ease him back to a normal state of being. 

**** 

Nico di Angelo sat on his bed, looking down at the shattered remains of the picture frame that had hung on his wall only moments prior. It had crashed to the floor when he slammed his car door, smashing upon impact with the hard floor. Carefully, he lifted the photograph from the wreckage, holding it gently as he rolled into his cot to face the wall, the mess of glass untouched and unimportant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 Is here!  
> (when I said every Friday at 4:20, I MEANT it!)
> 
> Hope y'all are enjoying the story so far! As always, click the collection to see the all the work me and my buds are writing to keep us busy during quarantine
> 
> Shameless Plug:  
> Tumblr: peaches--n--queen  
> Insta: peaches_n_queen (where I do a TON of fanart)
> 
> yeehaw, see you next week!
> 
> ps comments are always always always appreciated!
> 
> -kitkat/k


	3. Silly Red Sheet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: blood mention/injury

Nico woke early, like normal. He could never really sleep in, but that didn’t mean he was anything near chipper when he woke up. He was still half-asleep when he got out of bed, padding towards his dresser to take out clothes for the day. Of course, he didn’t remember his encounter with Will until he was given a sudden reminder. He shouted as his foot sunk down onto a large chunk of broken glass, an unintelligible string of Italian. Nico stumbled back, landing hard on the floor of the car. He felt himself shaking again, but not from anger this time. He felt everything and nothing at the same time.  
Until he looked down at his foot…

******  
Will jolted awake and into a seated position at the sound of a shout, curls sticking up all over the place. He scrubbed at his eyes, letting out a long sigh. What on earth was that asshole yelling about now?

Will felt their cars rattle and lowered his hands, definitely more awake, now. “Mr. di Angelo?” He called out hesitantly, pushing the covers off of himself and padding towards the door between their cars.

There was a moment of silence. Then:

“...Solace?”

“Yeah,” Will replied from his side of the door. “I heard shouting, are you okay?” 

Another few seconds of silence passed.

“… No….I need help.”

Will felt something inside him stir. He hadn’t heard Nico talk that quiet before. 

“I’m coming in,” was the only warning he gave before he opened the door and saw Nico di Angelo, sitting beside some broken glass with a rapidly growing pool of blood at his feet. “Oh my lord. Okay, hold on a second.” Will rushed back into his car before returning with his medic’s bag.

Nico looked up at him, and Will could see he was fighting tears. 

“It hurts,” he said shakily. “So much… Can you fix it?”

Will maneuvered his way past the glass to kneel in front of Nico’s foot. 

“I can fix it,” he said with calm confidence. He raised his eyes to meet Nico’s, but the man looked away quickly. He opened his medic bag and lifted Nico’s foot gently. 

“Okay… I’m going to have to pull the glass out first.”

Nico shook his head, looking panicked. 

“You can’t-... What if you do it wrong? Can’t this kind of thing cause nerve damage? I’m a trapeze artist, I can’t get up to the trapeze if I can’t use my foot.”

“The glass imbedded in your abductor digiti minimi muscle, and doesn’t look deep enough to have punctured any tendons,” Will said, using a cloth to gently wipe away some of the blood around the wound. “Any nerve damage will be more of a lack of feeling than an excess, so it won’t hurt your career. And I won’t do it wrong. I have a degree.”

“A VETERINARY degree-”

“I’m multi-talented. Mr.diAngelo,” Will interrupted, keeping his voice steady to try to calm Nico. “I have to pull this out or you risk a lot more damage. It’s not going to feel all that great, but it’ll be fast.”

Nico met Will’s gaze with his own panicked one. A moment of considering silence passed between the two before, slowly, Nico’s expression calmed a little. He swallowed and gave a quick nod.

“Alright,” Will said in the same calming tone. “Brace yourself.” 

Will removed the piece quickly and efficiently, with nothing more than a brief wince from Nico.   
Until the man looked down at his foot.

One look at the bloody shard, and Nico’s stormy eyes were rolling back in his head. He slumped back, head hitting the floor with a dull thud.

“And down he goes,” Will muttered to himself, reaching back into his bag to start preparing the stitches.

********* 

“Mr.diAngelo...Mr.diAngelo, wake up.”

The voice faded in slowly, peeking through the dark like a flashlight.

Nico groaned in complaint.

“Nico, come on,” the voice urged him.

“It’s all fixed, wake up…”

Slowly, Nico’s eyes blinked open, meeting a set of blue ones leaning over him.

“Ugh… Will?”

“You’re all patched up,” Will said, watching as Nico blinked away the bleariness.

“My head hurts,” Nico commented. “I think from when it hit the floor. I am on the floor, right? That’s why everything’s on its side?”

“That would be correct,” Will said, moving a hand to carefully cradle Nico’s head. Nico shivered a little.

“What are you doing-”

“Lift your head up a little bit so I can feel for any lumps,” Will instructed.

Nico lifted his head up as much as he could. 

“...My foot’s okay, right? I like having two feet that work.”

“Your foot will be perfectly fine,” Will promised him, feeling around the back of his head. “I feel no lumps, but you might be concussed. Do you feel dizzy? Nauseous?”

“Of course I feel nauseous,” Nico grumbled. “I just saw the bloody shard of glass that came out of my foot.”

Will snorted and laid Nico’s head back down.

“So, you’re pretty queasy then, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Nico sighed, resigned. 

He laid there for a moment, watching as Will carefully placed a few things back into his medic bag. He worked calmly, with the movement of a man who had done this many times before. Even earlier, Nico remembered, at the first sign of injury, he had worked with a level of comfortability and confidence. For a moment, something like envy settled in Nico’s stomach.

“...Thanks. For helping me. I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here.”

“You’re welcome,” Will said, looking pleasantly surprised. “...This is quite the difference from the tone you’d been taking with me before.”  
Nico felt his walls going back up. “I was hurt. Don't get used to it.”

Nico watched as Will smiled a little bit to himself, closing his bag. 

“Noted,” he said through his smile. “But you’re going to have to get used to me. I’m going to have to watch over you until that foot heals.”  
Something like frustration and panic bubbled up in Nico.

“I don't need to be watched over.”

“Then I’ll only watch over your foot,” Will deadpanned, and Nico caught him rolling his eyes. “Somebody has to keep an eye on that injury.”  
“That somebody can be me,” Nico insisted.

“The only way you can see your own foot would stretch the muscles and probably tear them farther,” Will said, setting to work cleaning up the glass that was still on the floor. 

Nico winced at how casually Will spoke, stomach churning. “Okay, okay. Fine. You can look after my foot or whatever.”

“Good.” Will finished with the glass and returned to his side. “Are you okay to stand, or are you still nauseous?”

“I’m good,” Nico said.

Will reached a hand down, and whatever thought Nico may or may not have been having about how soft Will’s palms were was chased away when Will pulled him up. Balance thrown off by only having one good foot to stand on, Nico stumbled directly forward into Will. 

“Woah-” Will caught Nico’s weight, taking hold of Nico’s forearms to support him. “Easy there.”

“It’s alright,” Nico breathed, steadying himself. His face felt warm. “I’m alright.”

“Alright,” Will responded.

A moment of silence stretched between the two, a few seconds longer than it took for Nico to get balanced.

Will cleared his throat.

“Here, let’s-” Will shifted a little, and Nico sat down on the edge of his bed, injured foot lifted.

“Do you have anything for the pain?”

“I do,” Will confirmed. “But you really shouldn’t take them on an empty stomach. Internal bleeding, and all that. I think it’s close to breakfast time anyways, I could pick you up some stuff?”

“It’s fine,” Nico said, settling back against the pillows. “I’ll survive.”

“Are you sure? It’s going to hurt a lot worse once the veins in your foot fill with blood again,” Will noted. 

“Stop talking about my veins and blood. I’ll be fine,” Nico grumbled, stomach churning.

“Suit yourself,” Will said, lifting his bag from the floor. “I’m going to go get food. Try to rest. I’ll be back to check on you before my morning shift.”

“Thanks,” Nico grumbled, mostly down to the blankets.

“You’re welcome. And try not to flex your foot.” 

Nico looked up at him, confused.

The corner of Will’s mouth turned upwards.

“We don’t want those stitches ripping.”

The last thing Nico saw before Will slipped out the door was the mischievous look on his face as his words took effect, Nico’s scowling at him through another bout of queasiness.

As soon as the car door rolled closed, Nico threw an arm over his eyes, flopping back against his pillows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3! She is here!
> 
> Oh hecc, Nico POV AND some teasing? We're really starting to get into it, huh?
> 
> Hope y'all are enjoying so far, lemme know what you think!
> 
> tumblr: peaches--n--queen
> 
> See ya next Friday at 4:20!

**Author's Note:**

> And the story begins!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the first chapter-  
> This story was written years ago by me and a friend, and with all the free time this quarantine has given me I finally have the chance to dust it off and polish it up so it can be posted here:)
> 
> I'll be updating every Friday at 4:20 (heyyooo) until finished:)
> 
> I'll also be writing some other stuff during the quarantine alongside two friends over at threeintelligentthoughts on tumblr and ao3 so we can keep our minds sharp (and not go insane with boredom hahaha), so go check it out and give some love to my friends' works! 
> 
> ps, comments are my ambrosia;)
> 
> -K/KitKat


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